Health Incentives Might Work Better When They’re Framed in Terms of Losses
Have you been postponing that doctor’s check-up for months now? Have you been ignoring the frequent migraines or nagging pains? You’re probably just working too hard and it will pass, right?
Often we have the best intentions for our health care, but it still seems to slip down the priority list, engulfed by a never-ending to-do list. Health conditions left unchecked can reach a point of no return.
Non-communicable illnesses such as heart disease, strokes, obesity, and diabetes remain among the top causes of death worldwide each year. It is conservatively estimated that physical inactivity cost health-care systems $53·8 billion worldwide in 2013, making up 80.8% of healthcare costs in high-income countries.1
However, I’m not here to be a harbinger of doom. So you can press pause on asking Dr. Google what chronic illness you might have. The good news is that health insurers are beginning to take a preventative rather than treatment-based approach. By harnessing the principles of behavioral science, they are encouraging people to live more active and healthier lives.
References
- Ding, D., K. Lawson, T. Kolbe-Alexander, E. Finelstein, P. Katzmarzyk, W. van Mechelen, and M. Pratt, "The Economic Burden of Physical Inactivity: A Global Analysis of Major Non-Communicable Diseases," The Lancet, Vol. 388, 2016, pp. 1311–1324.
- Hafner, M., Pollard, J., & Van Stolk, C. (2020). Incentives and physical activity. RAND Health Quarterly: An assessment of the association between Vitality's Active Rewards with Apple Watch benefit and sustained physical activity improvements, 9(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7371354/
- How Do Those Car Insurance Tracking Devices Work? (2022, March 9). USNews.com. Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.usnews.com/insurance/auto/how-do-those-car-insurance-tracking-devices-work
- How behavioural economics is being used to support employee wellbeing | Advisers | Vitality. (2022, March 29). Vitality for Advisers. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://adviser.vitality.co.uk/insights/behavioural-economics-supporting-employee-wellbeing/
- Stamper, J. (n.d.). Gamification Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamification
- Vitality Behaviour Change Study On Physical Activity | Behaviour Tech. (n.d.). Vitality. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.vitality.co.uk/about/behaviour-change-study/
- Vitality Behaviour Change Study On Physical Activity | Behaviour Tech. (n.d.). Vitality. Retrieved July 30, 2022, from https://www.vitality.co.uk/about/behaviour-change-study/
About the Author
Eva McCarthy
Eva holds a Bachelor of Science Mathematics degree and is currently undertaking a Master's in Cognitive and Decision Science at University College London. She is a committee member for UCL’s Behavioral Innovations Society, a student community of behavioral scientists that aims to deliver positive and sustainable behavior change within UCL and beyond. She also works for Essentia Analytics, a behavioral data analytics service that helps investment managers make measurably better investment decisions. Standing at the precipice of major technological upheaval she believes it is essential to apply behavioral science research to new technological advancements.
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